Blackburn PAE4141-9 AL PARAGRV CLAMP EXTRUDED 4/0-2

The PAE4141-9 is an extruded aluminum parallel-groove clamp built for a 4/0 through 2 AWG range, which is the size spread called out in its description. It holds two conductors, one in each groove, so you are tapping or splicing a single run to a single branch, not multiple taps off one clamp.

It uses a 3/8 inch bolt. Overall the clamp measures 2 x 1-3/8 x 2 inches, so budget that envelope inside the enclosure or around the tower steel before you commit. It's a bolted connection, tightened with a wrench to the manufacturer's torque marking, not a compression tool.

It carries an RUS listing, which is what utility and co-op specs generally call for on distribution grounding and bonding hardware. That is the standard stated for this clamp.

The PAE4141-9 body is extruded aluminum. Aluminum-bodied parallel groove clamps are rated by the manufacturer for the conductor metals listed on the product marking, so check the AL/CU marking stamped on the clamp before you land copper in it. Where the run is copper to aluminum, the joint also needs an oxide-inhibiting compound at both grooves.

A bolted parallel-groove clamp like the PAE4141-9 goes on with a wrench, no dies or hydraulic tool, and it can be backed off and reused if the conductor changes. A compression splice is permanent and needs the matching die set. If you're doing a handful of taps in the field or expect to revisit the joint, the bolted clamp is the practical choice; for a buried or irreversible splice most specs want compression.

No insulation is supplied on this clamp, it's a bare extruded aluminum body. For grounding and bonding runs that's normal and nothing further is required. If you're using it where the joint could contact an energized or dissimilar surface, you supply the cover or tape yourself.

They're sold each, so an order quantity of 25 gets you 25 clamps, not 25 cartons. Useful to know when you're pulling material for a pole line or a ground grid and counting taps.